Registration means



J. F. FREEBOURN 3,335,704

REGISTRATION MEANS Filed May 10, 1966 INVENTOR JOHN F 55580 uxw United States Patent f 3,335,704 REGISTRATION MEANS John F. Freebour'n, Erie, Pa., assignor to Accurate Finishing Tools Co., Inc., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 549,045 2 Claims. (Cl. 118-504) This invention relates to painting machines and, more particularly, to fixtures for spray painting articles of manufacture through masks.

In the process of spray painting articles of manufacture through masks, it is common practice to support the mask on a frame of a fixture and to move the article to be painted into precise engagement with the mask, either from above or below, and to spray paint onto the mask, thereby spraying paint onto the article through the openings in the mask.

It is common practice to guide the article support toward the mask on locating pins. These locating pins are usually supported at spaced positions on the machine frame and when they enter holes in the article support, the article support frequently tilts relative to the mask, thereby causing the pins to bind in the holes and restrict movement of the mask. It has been discovered that by providing spherical members with holes therein supported in spherical sockets in the article support, the holes in the spherical members will automatically align themselves with the pins and, therefore, no binding will result as the article support is moved toward the mask.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide an improved fixture for painting articles of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved spray painting mask and fixture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mask and article supporting member relatively movable to each other wherein ball and socket joints are provided between the member receiving locating pins on the mask support and the article support.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the painting fixture according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the ball and socket joint and locating pins according to the invention.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the fixture shown has a frame that has an intermediate member 12 with upstanding arms 11 spaced from each other and extending upward from either side thereof. The mask support brackets 13 are attached to the upper ends of each of the arms 11 and extend toward each other.

Tapered pins 14 extend through holes in the mask support brackets 13 and are locked thereto by means of nuts 15. The brackets 13 have notches 16 that face each other and they slidably receive the mask support frame 24 which has a mask 27 fixed to the central part thereof.

The article supports 22 are carried by a piston 26 which is slidably received in the cylinder that may be actuated by air or other suitable means. Obviously, the article supports could be moved upward by any suitable elevating device familiar to those skilled in the art.

The article support 22 has means thereon to support 3,335,704 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 an article 23 which could be the hub cap of an automobile or the like that might have a top convex surface that could be received in an intaglio thereof in mask 27.

Masks are of a type quite familiar to those skilled in the art that have inner surfaces which are intaglios of articles to be painted and have holes cut therein for paint to pass through onto the article to paint selected areas.

The article supports 22 have the brackets 18 attached to each side thereof and these brackets have upwardly extending portions that receive the threaded portions of the eye members 19. The eye members 19 are locked to the brackets 18 by means of nuts 17.

The eye members are bored and have a liner 20 therein that has an internal surface in the form of the outer surface of a sphere which receives the spherical outer surface of the spherical members 21. The spherical members 21 have a central hole therein that slidably receives the tapered male members 14. Thus, when the article support 21 has an article 23 placed thereon and is moved upward by the piston 26, the tapered ends of the male members 14 will first engage the holes 28 and guide the article sup port upward. As the article support moves upward, if it is tilted one way or the other, the spherical members 21 will adjust themselves in liners 20 and at all times keep the holes receiving the male members in alignment with the male members so that no binding will result.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a coating apparatus:

a masking member and means to support such member;

movable means to support a substrate;

means to move said substrate support whereby to associate said substrate and masking member for the coating operation;

aligning means comprising pairs of tapered pin elements and apertured mean-s adapted to receive said elements upon said movement to associate the substrate and masking member;

said pin elements being mounted on one of either the masking member or substrate supports and the apertured means being mounted on the other of said supports; said apertured means comprising a ball and socket type joint whereby to inhibit binding, of a pin element with its cooperating aperture means, upon said movement to associate the substrate and masking member.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the pin elements are mounted on the masking member support and the aperture means are mounted on the substrate support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,853,309 6/1932 Kitts 28788 x 2,475,434 7/1949 Moss 118-603 x 2,652,221 9/1953 Kampa 2s7-ss X 2,662,557 12/1953 Heim 2s7 ss X 3,207,126 9/1965 Byron 11s 49 3,238,918 3/1966 Radtke et al. 118-49.1 3,302,609 2/1967 Walker ell a1 11s 49 MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COATING APPARATUS: A MASKING MEMBER AND MEANS TO SUPPORT SUCH MEMBER; MOVABLE MEANS TO SUPPORT A SUBSTRATE; MEANS TO MOVE SAID SUBSTRATE SUPPORT WHEREBY TO ASSOCIATE SAID SUBSTRATE AND MASKING MEMBER FOR THE COATING OPERATION; ALIGNING MEANS COMPRISING PAIRS OF TAPERED PIN ELEMENTS AND APERTURED MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID ELEMENTS UPON SAID MOVEMENT TO ASSOCIATE THE SUBSTRATE AND MASKING MEMBER; SAID PIN ELEMENTS BEING MOUNTED ON ONE OF EITHER THE MASKING MEMBER OR SUBSTRATE SUPPORTS AND THE APERTURED MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID SUPPORTS; SAID APERTURED MEANS COMPRISING A BALL AND SOCKET TYPE JOINT WHEREBY TO INHIBIT BINDING, OF A PIN ELEMENT WITH ITS COOPERATING APERTURE MEANS, UPON SAID MOVEMENT TO ASSOCIATE THE SUBSTRATE AND MASKING MEMBER. 